John has been involved with Emergency Services for over 20 years and began his career as a Firefighter/EMT at Ellicott Creek Fire where he spent 14 years. Professionally John worked first as an Eire County Park and Forestry Ranger providing Security and EMS response inside the Counties Park system and then stepped into EMS work at Twin City Ambulance as an AEMT-I and then as a Paramedic. After a decade of working and learning at Twin City John jumped at the opportunity to join the Town of Tonawanda Police Departments Paramedic Unit where he enjoyed 5 years of growth as a Paramedic learning from his truly high caliber colleagues. After 15 years of service in Western NY, John and his family took the opportunity to move to Virginia where he currently works on a HEMS helicopter as a Critical Care Flight Paramedic for a Level 1 Trauma Center in Central VA. When he’s not flying, John serves as a trained peer supporter, runs a small Lawn and Landscape Maintenance business, Volunteers with local youth football as well as burning up the airwaves as an Amateur Radio Operator (HAM).
John was raised in the Roman Catholic Church however like many teenagers and young adults, John pushed any belief in Jesus to the side finding himself to be an outspoken agnostic. After many years working within emergency services and walking away from God, John found himself suffering from the effects of a complex post-traumatic stress injury. After the birth of his second child; and with symptoms not only affecting him but also his young family, a search began. This search for healing and meaning lead John to answer yes to years of Brandon’s requests to come along on a ROAM Int’l Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic. At this point, God used the ministry to soften Johns heart and for the first time he truly heard the Good News. This Good News and John’s experiencing grace and forgiveness from his soon to be Christian Brothers ”You are already forgiven” lead John to return home and opened the New Testament. Matthew-Mark-and half way through the book of John, he accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! The following year, John returned to the DR now as a follower of Christ and was Baptized just 20 feet off the beach where his heart was first softened. John is joyful that not only he is walking with Jesus, but now his Wife Alyssa and their four children Matthew, Andrew, Lucas and Aubrey are living their lives for Christ. They attend a family-based home church and enjoy learning God’s word together! John is more than excited to share Gods word with anyone, especially with his fellow first responders and he is ecstatic to be officially bringing ROAM to the area of Central Virginia. One last thing – he lives in VA now but he still says GO BILLS!!!
